The news for Antonio was not good. The ship that sank in the sea between England and France was his. Its valuable cargo lay at the bottom of the sea, and Antonio had lost his money. His friends hoped that there would be no more bad news for him.
Shylock was still angry about his daughter, Jessica, and the news for him was not good either. He paid people to look for her, but they could not find her. They came back with news about money she had spent and the jewels she had sold. All this made Shylock angrier and angrier.
However, when he heard that Antonio had lost a ship and all its valuable cargo, he was pleased. He decided that if Antonio could not pay back his debt when it was due, he would make him pay thepenalty. He would take one pound of his flesh. He would choose the heart. Then Antonio would not be able to take business away from him any longer because he would be dead.
The news got worse for Antonio. He lost another ship in a storm near Tripoli. It was a very large ship and its cargo was very valuable. The ship and its cargo sat at the bottom of the sea. The news soon came to Venice and Shylock was happier than ever. Now he would have revenge on his old enemy. He looked forward to taking one pound of Antonio's flesh.
"You will not take a pound of his flesh, will you?" Antonio's friends asked Shylock. "What use is that? What can you do with it?"
"I can use it to go fishing," he replied, "I can't eat it, but it will make me feel good. He has often laughed at me when I lose money. He even laughs at me when I don't lose money. He lends money to people for no interest, and so he takes away my friends and my business. Why does he do this? It is only because I am a Jew. But a Jew is just another person. Don't I have eyes and hands like he does? Don't I have feelings and passions like he does? Don't I eat the same food? Don't the same weapons hurt me as hurt him? Don't 1 get sick with the same illnesses as he does? Am I not cured in the same way? Don't I get hot in the summer and cold in the winter as he does? If you cut me, won't I bleed? If you tickle me, won't I laugh? If you poison me, won't I die? If you do me wrong, won't I take revenge? "
